A Ten Month Old Little Helper

Claire passed the ten month mark on the 25th. She's turning into quite the "helper" around the house, just a few examples of her idea of helping out...

• Climbing onto the dishwasher when we are trying to load or unload it


• Trying to get all the dirt out of the plants or pull their leaves when I'm watering them


• Attempting to grab the vacuum's cord while I am vacuuming


• Chasing the broom or mop when we are cleaning the floors


• Making desperate passes at the computer cables when we are on the computer (like right now)
• Grabbing at the pen or papers when I'm grading papers

(Can you tell she's feeling back to normal? By last Saturday night she was already back to chasing Hem around the house.)

Sick and Still Smiling

You wouldn't know it from this picture I snapped a few minutes ago, but Claire, for the first time at almost 10 months old, is sick with a fever and lower bronchial congestion. She seemed a little congested Friday morning, and by last night she had a fever and was breathing raspily with a hoarse voice. Being first time parents and living 35 minutes from the hospital, this made us a little nervous. So we consulted various books and WebMD, almost called our veteran parent siblings, and finally decided she wasn't sick enough for a trip to the ER. We didn't get much sleep last night as we had her in bed with us and the vaporizer going. Nate and I traded shifts sleeping in the guest bed so we each got a few hours, of sleep and Claire has been sleeping off and on all morning (in the sling as we speak). It's hard to watch your child be ill and not be able to do much about it except hold her and let the illness run its course. Poor thing and she's being such a trooper about it too!

Trip to West Yellowstone

At least once a year we like to ski at the Rendevouz Trails in West Yellowstone. It a bit of a drive, about two hours, but always a scenic one as we head south through the Madison River Valley and along Quake and Hebgen Lakes to reach West Yellowstone. Last year we skied there when I was pregnant, though I didn't get very far away from the loop that circled near the restroom as I had a little bit of pressure on my bladder. I also didn't dare ski very quickly for fear of falling. Thus it was nice to get back there this year and actually ski. On the drive down we saw the normal elk, antelope, and deer, but even we locals had to stop and take a picture when we spied some Big Horn Sheep on the cliffs alongside of the side of the road.

Claire is getting more and more active. She's learned to open and close doors and drawers. Today she even managed the glass door of the shower while I was in it! She also discovered that she could throw her toys in the toilet for a satisfying splash while I was showering this morning. I guess it's time to make sure the lid is DOWN all the time in this household. Today I snapped this picture when she was talking to her Valentine's Day card while dressed in red with her rosy cheeks...adorable!

Valentine's Day Reflections

Do any of you remember your Valentine's Days from junior high and high school? Let me refresh your memory. When I got to school this morning, there was already (at 7:45 AM) a freshman girl at her locker by my classroom sobbing. Her friends comforted her saying things like, "Well he's a total jerk!" and "I know. I HATE Valentine's Day too!" No day brings out more drama in adolescent relationships than Valentine's Day (well, perhaps with the exception of prom). Everyone in the halls has an eagle eye out for the gifts being distributed to various friends and lovers. When the announcements come calling students to the office to pick up boquets from the florist, the lucky students, sheepish and proud at the same time, head down to pick up their trophies. Then, the real fun begins when the group who sells carnations every year begins to come around to the classes to pass them out. Students surreptitiously display and count them as the flowers pile up on their desks, mouthing the givers' names to their friends. The unlucky few without any put on a brave face mumbling things about a "stupid holiday" and "waste of money." I can't help but remember that situation of desperately wanting your name to be called, wanting the badge of honor a cheaply dyed carnation represents.

It all makes me very glad to be an old married lady with a thoughtful husband and an adorable daughter with whom I can share the day. Since living out of town and having a baby don't make a romantic dinner at a restaurant or a weekend away very feasible, I'm attempting to make our own five star meal tonight--Rosemary Encrusted Lamb Chops (I know the old vegetarian in me is cringing) and Chocolate Mousse for dessert. I'm hoping Claire will amuse herself long enough (or at least allow herself to be bribed with Cheerios) for us to enjoy the meal with a nice bottle of wine while listening to the new Willie Nelson CD Nate picked out for me.

Hem's life will never be the same

As I've noted on previous posts, Claire is now mobile. She'll really get moving when she decides to go after Hem, as you can see a little bit in this video. Hem isn't all that willing to let her pull his fur, so he generally gets up an moves to another location...little does he know that Claire is just going to get faster and more determined!

Nine Months Old and a 10K Ski Day

Claire had her nine month check-up this week, and--for those of you who are interested in such details--she weighed 19 pounds (50th percentile for weight); her height was in between the 50 and 75th percentile. She's right on track! We are thankful for the blessing of a healthy child!

We spent the day Saturday skiing again at the place, Mount Haggin, I wrote about last week. (Nate thinks I only went back for the soup we enjoy at the lodge across the road, but I told him he misjudged me. It was for the dessert.) This time we decided to venture a little farther afield and skiing a 10 kilometer loop that wound through some old logging camps. Outside of skiing the backcountry in Yellowstone, it was one of the best trails we've skied. They had 18 inches of snow Thursday, so conditions were stellar. Claire did beautifully, though we probably can't go much farther. Two hours in a backpack bundled in about four layers is understandably about all she can tolerate. She garners quite the attention on the trail, as people exclaim, "Oh, look at the baby!" Nate still outskis me, so I might have to start adding rocks to the backpack in addition to Claire's weight to slow him down.

Mount Haggin in the background

Successfully fighting the midwinter funk

This last week, though cold, has been a good week for me. Nothing too exciting has happened, but I'm appreciative of the range of activities I've been able to enjoy the past few days. Thursday night I attended a play in Bozeman ("Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" by Tennessee Williams) with a friend from my mom's group. The production was incredibly professional, especially for Montana, and I enjoyed a night "out on the town" not to mention the fact that I love theater! On Friday afternoon Claire and I had a playdate with my mom's group and we even braved the weather for a short stroll, though the kids were bundled with only their little eyes peaking out. Saturday, we skied again. This time we checked out some trails about an hour and a half from our house, basically in the middle of nowhere. However, they were great trails and even better, across the road from the trails was a little cabin called "The Soup Shack." No hyperbole here, it was the best soup either of us have even eaten in our lives! (sorry moms!) Of course, after eating such great soup, we had to try the dessert too--an "alpine mud slide"--I'm still thinking about it! (If any of you ever happen to find yourself on the cutoff road between the Big Hole Valley and Anaconda, you have to stop!) Today, I enjoyed a beautiful service at my church--First Presbyterian, Bozeman. After I had gotten myself and Claire dressed, Nate noticed that we matched in our denim, thus the photo.